Li Zhi was sitting in Fanjiazhuang's chemistry laboratory, operating the sulfuric acid reagent and seaweed ash in his hands.
He poured sulfuric acid and seaweed ash into a glass, and then put the glass tube on top of the glass tube. Soon, a blue-purple gas rose from the seaweed ash.
This blue-purple gas is gaseous iodine: when sulfuric acid encounters the alkali metal iodides potassium iodide and sodium iodide contained in seaweed ash, hydrogen iodide is generated. It then reacts with sulfuric acid to produce free iodine.
As the reaction continued, more and more iodine vapor was contained in the glass test tube. Finally, at the other end of the glass test tube, more and more iodine crystals condensed on a cup cooled by cold water on the outside. The purple iodine crystals were sticky
It looks very nice at the bottom of the transparent glass.
The method Li Zhi used was the method used by Courtois when he first discovered iodine in 1811. This method is simple to operate and the materials are easily available. Although it cannot produce iodine in large quantities, it is very convenient for obtaining iodine in small amounts.
Li Zhi continued to react with sulfuric acid and seaweed ash, and finally obtained a small cup of iodine crystals.
The reason why Li Zhi prepared iodine was because he wanted to use the iodine steaming method to obtain fingerprints on paper and skin. This criminal investigation method only appeared in the twentieth century, but Li Zhi now faced the need of investigating the Steel Town Factory Case, so he decided to use this method
A method was invented in advance.
After preparing the iodine crystals, extracting fingerprints is very simple. Li Zhi pressed his fingerprints on a banknote, then moved the banknotes to a large glass jar to fix it, and heated the iodine crystals at the bottom of the jar.
Soon, yellow-brown fingerprints appeared on the banknotes. This was caused by the reaction between iodine crystals and the oil in the fingerprints.
Li Zhi took out the banknotes and covered the fingerprints with a piece of white paper coated with isinglass. With a gentle press, the fingerprints were fixed on the white paper. At this time, the fingerprints turned blue and their shape was reversed from the original shape.
One hundred and eighty degrees.
Li Zhi pressed his right index finger on his left hand again, and then put his left hand into the jar with rich iodine vapor to try. Sure enough, yellow-brown fingerprints were also reflected on his left hand. Li Zhi used isinglass white paper
Pressing it on my left hand, I also got a fingerprint of my right index finger.
Li Zhi compared the fingerprints obtained by the two methods.
The fingerprints match perfectly and it can be determined that they are the fingerprints of the same finger.
Li Zhi smiled and blew out the alcohol lamp that heated the glass jar.
####
Cui He was sitting in the backyard of the Duke's Mansion, looking at Cui Changwu with a gloomy expression.
Cui He bit his lip and said, "Second brother, I came to you today to discuss the Steel Town case with you."
Cui Changwu frowned and said, "Sister, this case cannot be investigated."
Cui He asked: "How can I not find out?"
Cui Changwu said: "The Li family is loyal to the Duke and is the pillar of the Duke. The Duke will not do anything that harms the interests of the Li family. Now the case in Steel Town is confusing. Who caused the collapse of the factory?
There is no conclusion yet, and all the parties involved are either dead or escaping, so it can be said that there is no evidence."
"Since all the parties involved have been eliminated, how can other evidence not be eliminated? There is no doubt that there will be no evidence that can be found if this case is investigated. If you press too hard on Li Zhenpin and Li Yousheng, you will offend the Li family.
When the time comes, the Li family will fight back, and maybe the Duke of Guo will punish me."
"No matter how you look at it, this case ended in vain. Last time I punished Li Xing, I already offended Li Xing. If I go to investigate Li Yousheng this time, the Li family will definitely say that I am making things difficult for the Li family. Then I will take it seriously.
It’s unclear.”
Cui He bit his lip and said nothing while listening to Cui Changwu's words.
After a long time, Cui Hecai said: "Second brother, I know what you are doing is a thankless job. However, if there is no one to take care of the Li family, your brother-in-law's high official Houlu, a town of four provinces, may not be a blessing, but a fatal reminder."
Talisman."
Cui Changwu was stunned and looked at Cui He without saying anything.
Cui He said: "Second brother, your brother-in-law looks great. People say that he is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. But in fact, your brother-in-law is fighting against the villains and traitors in the whole world with the power of one person."
.He killed Tatars, corrupt officials, barbarians, and thieves. He killed so many heads that he looked majestic, but he was actually walking on thin ice."
"Your brother-in-law wants to change this country on his own."
"The officials in the court hate your brother-in-law as much as he killed his father and wanted to skin him and eat his flesh. The gentry in the south of the Yangtze River are even more ferocious. They have formed an army to attack him at any time."
"Although your brother-in-law has tens of thousands of elite soldiers, the reason why these soldiers and horses can stop those traitors is because the whole town and four provinces work together."
Cui He started crying as he spoke, with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"However, there is no peace within one town and four provinces. Your brother-in-law works hard every day, but he can't stop some people from taking bribes and bending the law. The Li family are all veterans of your brother-in-law's career. As you said, there is no conclusive evidence against these people.
You cannot punish him lightly, otherwise all the bureaucrats will be disheartened. Your brother-in-law has so many enemies, and if the internal bureaucrats are dissatisfied, they will make mistakes and cause chaos, and they will not have the strength to fight against the enemies outside."
"But if you don't stand up for your brother-in-law this time and help your brother-in-law catch the traitor, the whole town and four provinces will be in chaos."
Cui He wiped his tears and said: "This time more than thirty people were beaten to death. If such a big case is not solved, who will know the law in the future? I'm afraid the Li family, the Zheng family, and the petty bureaucrats below all have
Everyone becomes corrupt."
"If this starts and no one takes care of such a big case, who can stop this trend in the future? In one year, two years, or even ten years, there will be as many corrupt officials in Tianjin as in other places in the Ming Dynasty."
"Your brother-in-law's business will be inherited by Li Huan in the future. However, thirty years later, if there are corrupt officials all over Tianjin, and everyone forms cliques for personal gain, then how can Li Huan manage the territory well? All the money will be sucked away by these corrupt officials! No.
With money to support the army, what can Li Huan use to fight against the gentry?"
"Your brother-in-law has disobeyed the imperial decree countless times in order to fight these traitors. The emperor seems to support him now, but my sister is very scared in her heart. Both the emperor and your brother-in-law will grow old and die. Wait until the new emperor ascends the throne.
, when Li Huan inherits the title of Duke, if Tianjin becomes like other places in the Ming Dynasty and becomes weak and powerless, will the court at that time let Li Huan go?"
Cui He wiped his eyes and said: "I'm afraid that at that time, the court will not hesitate to deprive Li Huan of his title and slowly deal with your brother-in-law's descendants."
Cui He shed another two lines of tears and said, "Second brother, you are Li Huan's uncle. You can't watch Li Huan fall into trouble and inherit a mess."
"You must catch the traitor who caused the factory to collapse! For the sake of your brother-in-law, and even more so for your nephew and niece! As long as you let go and do it, your nephew will definitely not forget your contribution and will promote you when he takes power.
A descendant of the Cui family."
Cui Changwu couldn't help but sigh when he heard Cui He's words.
